Virtual Exchange as a Sustainable Approach to Intercultural Learning

Resumen

The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into Virtual Exchange, a relatively underdeveloped tool for the internationalisation of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that offers a sustainable, easily-accessible opportunity to enhance students’ intercultural communicative competence (ICC). Several studies have reported a lack of authentic intercultural learning and skills in university students who come back to their home institution after a study abroad experience (Batardière in J Virtual Exchange 2, 2019, [1]). With this in mind, it has been argued that students need a preparatory phase to reflect and acquire skills to cope with the difficulties of studying abroad and the knowledge to fully benefit from the stay. In addition, students whose financial or personal situation does not allow them to go on exchange should also have the chance to become interculturally aware and skilled. This paper examines the sustainable component of virtual exchange (VE) and presents a newly designed model of exchange for undergraduate students of the EURECA-PRO alliance. This project is underway at the Universidad de León and is one of a few recent examples of online pre-mobility that can be found in Europe. It is a multicultural free programme, firmly committed to a sustainable accessible-to-all education that fosters the development of intercultural sensitivity, transversal or soft skills, democratic citizenship, foreign language learning, and collaborative learning. The results of the research will be expressed at a later time when data have been gathered and analysed.